Katherine Harris Recruits Jews to Join the Republican Revival

Katherine Harris, who's already a serious underdog in her bid to unseat Florida's Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is now having to defend comments she made last month on Jewish conversion. In a conference call prayer breakfast, Awaken the Nation on October 3, Harris talked about Florida leading the country in a religious reawakening, including prayer in schools, changes in tax regulations on churches and charities, and she even predicted a revival:

"We just decree and declare there will be a shift for this nation, that there will be an enormous revival, even a revolution as we speak. Once again, we'll rejoice, rejoice with your Son and bring this nation into alignment with your government with your kingdom principles and authority."

She went on:

"And Father God, right now on the day after the Jewish new year, Father, after the day after atonement, as they enter into their new year, Father God, I just pray that you would bring the hearts and minds of our Jewish brothers and sisters into alignment."

Jewish groups are troubled by her comments, and in response a Harris spokeswoman said Friday that she was talking about converting Jews to vote Republican, not to Christianity. Yeah, because it says in the Torah that you have to be a Democrat so that must be what she was referring to. And how about Muslims, they have party affiliations too, how about bringing them into alignment?

Harris, who is trailing Nelson by a good 20 points, has made no secret of her politics-as-religion throughout the campaign. In August, she told the Florida Baptist Witness, "If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin." And she ended the October call with this prayer:

"And Father, awaken our churches now. Treat the pastors' hearts so that those who think there's no place for government, have them understand kingdom government, and how they need to be involved in the governance on this earth because God is our governance."